Need help with basic workflow when designing products around a 3D scan

[fxmech]

I just downloaded my trial of inventor suite and before going through learning tutorials I want to find out the general work flow I need in order to see where to focus my attention during these 30 days..

I need to be able to do mechanical part and assembly designs built around 3 scan files (mainly provided as .STL files)

he I dea is to :

1) take  the file and orient it to the project axis/plane

2) scale it if needed

3) design components around 3 scan characteristics

4) design modifications to 3D SCAN to accomodate designed components (such as bolean out pockets to house components within 3d scan features

5) modify surface of 3 scan to allow surfaces to flow into changes made in step 4

example:

take 3d STL scan of a solid  screwdriver handle

orient it to the inventor work planes and axis

design a metal screwdriver bit based on the shape of the handles 3d scan

design and boolean out a cavity to acommodate the metal bit

place bit design within cavity

modify screwdriver handle surfaces to seamlesly flow onto the metal bit

Can someone please tell me what software would do what part of the process and if there is specific terminology what that is so that I can better search the knowledge base and Autodesk University?

thanks in advance

[jletcher]

Not sure about 2013 but you may have to convert the .stl file to a step file then import the step file.

[japike]

In Inventor, check out derived components.

[JDMather]

I don't think #5 is possible (in Inventor).

I think you will need to use 3D scan only for reference in recreating geometry.

[fxmech]

thanks so far since i posted the question I was able to open my Stl in alias and use alias to reposition it to lign up with the axis/planes/coordinate system

the problem is that it was all freehand so its not perfect under close magnification

Is there a better way???  if not this is not a big issue...I can just spend more time and get it very close to perfect by using the rotate tools.

I then resave it as an stl and open it up in inventor.

the part is now aligned so I create a work plane and start sketching!!!

but after I have a shape what product would I use to boolean out a cavity???

and what file format would the cavity part need to be in.

do I do it in alias or 3ds, mudbox, within inventor...  honestly fusion is another component program that I have no idea what its useful for.  I know 3ds can probably do it but I want to keep on the inventor side of things as much as possible in case components change and the bolleand pockets need to get modified as well.

Step 5 can be left for someone else to do in more specific software if the design suite cant do it, but the steps leading to it would need to be doable within the suite for me to justify the expense...

Any more suggestions wil be greatly appreciated!

[mrattray]

Inventor can be used to create your cavities. Use the "combine" command (it's Inventor's boolean command).

[fxmech]

Just tried the combine feature but it does not like it.

Says it needs at least two solids

looks like the shape I want to remove is considered a solid but the stl file is not.

Maybe I need to convert it to a different format?????

[mrattray]

I'm not familiar with .stl formats or 3D scans. What is the geometery of the file? Is it a solid, surfaces, or just points?

[fxmech]

I believe stl files are surfaces.

they are used for 3d printing and hold the 3d item sliced into vertical slices and the data is just the x,y coordinates of points aling perimeter plus the z value for the group of point.

Thats the way I learned it anyways...

[mrattray]

If it's surfaces, can you stitch it into a solid?

[japike]

Can you post you .stl file?

[fxmech]

as of now...no.

I tried doing it in 3dsmax but it locked up.

I then downloaded the mesh plugin from autodesk labs and tried to do it within inventor but it looks like it locked up also..  Im going to give it some time maybe the file is just way to big, but it doesn't show any progress bars so I dont know whats happening...

[JDMather]

stl files are coarsely (is that a word?) facted planar surfaces that Inventor reads in as graphic object rather than surface bodies.  I think there is a utility here to work with them http://labs.autodesk.com , but I have not tried it.

Bottom line is they are faceted faces rather than smooth faces - so I only use for reference.

I think there is software ($$$$) that can smooth to NURBS surfaces, but I have never used that either.

I would start with a simple cube or sphere stl created from Inventor and check out what can be done with the Labs tp.

I frankly would not expect much from anything of significant complexity, but it would be nice to know for sure.

[fxmech]

I am trying the plugin as I type.

I did open the stl in inventor

convert it to an inventor friendly format with the plug in

orient it within inventor

boolean out a hole using a shape created in inventor

and so far the model does not look any worse than the original stl !!!!

only problem is that it takes 50% of my CPU and 50% of my memory

so every little thing I do to it like even just rotating it a bit or saving

gives me a black screen and POGAM O SPOGIG error..but eventually it goes away and the task performed flawlessly!

I am now trying to see if I can take the modified model and import it into alias to modify the surface in a more organic way as a finishing touch.

[LT.Rusty]

If you're working with it in Alias, why not just bring it into Inventor as a .WIRE instead?  Like JD says, STL's are faceted.  You might get better results using Alias' own formats.